The King’s Commonwealth Fellowship Programme PhD Fellowships, inspired by His Majesty King Charles III, provide an opportunity for scholars from Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to pursue a PhD in their home country while receiving international supervision. Fellows will work towards their PhD while being jointly supervised by a partner university in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or the UK. They will also attend study and research training sessions at these universities.
Fellowship Focus Areas
The program supports PhD research in:
– Health
– Climate Change/Environment
– Education
– Engineering
Benefits
Fellows will receive:
– GBP 30,000 over six years (GBP 5,000 per year) for research and study visits
– GBP 12,000 research support grant (GBP 2,000 per year)
– 20% salary contribution to the fellow’s employer over six years
– Waiver of international tuition fees (if applicable) for the visiting period
– Access to partner university resources such as libraries and databases
– Dedicated joint supervision from both home and partner universities
– Membership in the “King’s Fellows cohort,” with training in communication, policy engagement, entrepreneurship, and research funding
Eligibility
To qualify, applicants must:
– Hold a Master’s degree or equivalent experience
– Be enrolled or planning to enroll in a PhD program at an ACU SIDS member university in the 2025/26 academic year
– Conduct research in one of the four fellowship focus areas
– Be a citizen or refugee in a Commonwealth SIDS country
Eligible Countries
Africa
Mauritius, Seychelles
Asia
Maldives
Caribbean & Americas
Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Cayman Islands, Trinidad and Tobago
Pacific
Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu
Application Deadline
April 25, 2025
How to Apply
Interested candidates should visit the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) website to submit their application. More details can be found on the ACU Fellowship webpage.
